Media personalities join Toledoans pinched by economy
Written by Barrett Andrews | | news@toledofreepres.comThe stories Toledo media personalities used to tell about their viewers and listeners are becoming their own.
Amid industry cutbacks, familiar faces and voices are disappearing from the airwaves.
“I think it’s the toughest downturn that’s happened in modern television, modern broadcasting, modern media, for that matter,” said Jim Blue, former primary anchor at WNWO-TV NBC 24 and Toledo Free Press contributor. Blue was one of the first visible casualties at the station when his contract was not renewed in 2008.
From left, Aaron Brilbeck, Tom Watkins, Kevin Murphy and Rebecca Solomon.
Later the same year, when interviewing for her position, former sports and news reporter Rebecca Solomon said she was told there had been 20 layoffs at the station in April.
“I knew that things weren’t going to be happy, merry- go-lucky at NBC 24 when I got there,” she said.
Solomon lost her job in the station’s second round of layoffs in December — only three months after being hired. Also on the chopping block were a reported handful of behind-the-scenes employees and Aaron Brilbeck, who had been the station’s investigative reporter.
“I’ve been laid off so many times, it’s pitiful,” Brilbeck said. “I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been laid off. I’d have to sit down and count them.”
That is the nature of the broadcast industry, Brilbeck said. He started at a radio station when he was 15 years old, seeing the ups and-downs from the same point of view he is now. But he, like Solomon, understands this was a business decision.
“They can get another reporter to do the news for a fraction of what they’re paying me,” Brilbeck said.
Brilbeck cited a smaller staff more focused on the daily news cycle.
“They paid me to be the guy who’s doing the digging. Well, if there’s no time to do any digging, there’s no sense in paying me well.”
Shenikwa Stratford, who most recently served as the station’s primary anchor, had been with the station more than seven years. Some people thought she, too, had been a victim of the layoffs this winter, until she explained to viewers that her departure was on her own terms.
“The station offered me to stay here as long as I wanted to be here, but I decided almost a year ago that after I had this little girl, I wanted to be able to stay home,” she said in her televised farewell.
NBC 24 is not alone in feeling the economic sting. FOX Toledo laid off four people in December, including long-time sports director Brad Fanning. The station also planned to eliminate weekday sports and cut the anchor position left vacant by Karl Rundgren’s departure. WTOL-11 also reportedly laid off several staff members about the same time.
The Blade reduced its reporting and writing staff and recently announced a reduction in the physical size of the newspaper.
‘Radio’s done with me’
Kevin Murphy, host of “Murphy in the Morning” on 106.5 “The Zone,” has been stripped of that title twice now, once in 2003 and again this fall.
And this will be the last time.
“I had a good conversation with my wife and my family and basically said, ‘I’m done with radio, because radio’s done with me, and I don’t want to do it again,’ ” he said.
“To say that it’s struggling is an understatement,” he said of the radio industry. Radio refused to adapt to new technology, including the Internet and satellite radio, and “now it’s too late,” Murphy said.
Toledo radio veteran Tom Watkins traces the downfall back to the 1980s and ’90s, when radio conglomerates began scooping up “hometown” radio stations and lumping them together in one major city.
Local owners had treated their employees like family, and stations had the support of their community, he said. Now, it’s all about the bottom line.
“The guy in San Antonio or Atlanta doesn’t give a rat’s ass who he’s laying off,” Watkins said. “Up here, they just know the number.”
Watkins had been the host of “Toledo Today” on Super Talk 1560 WTOD-AM, owned by Cumulus Media Inc., in a part-time capacity. He opted to end the program, which ran for two years, rather than taking a pay cut.
“Homey don’t work for nothin’, ” Watkins said.
Cumulus Toledo, which owns eight stations, laid off nine full-time staff members in November and 11 employees in February. During his final show, Watkins said traffic reader Kelly Carter, a Toledo Free Press contributor, and board operator Tod Crabtree were among the layoffs.
Clear Channel Communications Inc., which owns six Toledo-area stations, reportedly laid off 22 employees — 10 full-time — in late January.
The Future
“It’s going to be a different world. Print, broadcasting and the Web — we’ll all find a new natural order,” Blue said, explaining how newspapers are now posting video online, and television reporters are learning how to write in print format for Web publishing.
Blue was recently hired as the news director and primary anchor of WFFT FOX Fort Wayne in Fort Wayne, Ind.
“Our goal will be to meld the Web and on-air coverage into a unique source for local information,” he said.
Expectations of the media industry getting out of the current rut are unrealistic, he said.
“I think to expect to get out of it, or to return somehow to what was once the way it once was — that’s just not going to happen.”
Barrett Andrews is a reporter/photojournalist at FOX Toledo.
Your photo definitley got my attention. I hope all these people who got laid off understand that they have lost a job, but not their talent and passion for news. You’re right…blending broadcast skills, journalism and the web is the what’s going to help us continue doing what we want. I wish all them good luck. I live and work in Dallas, but Toledo is my first stomping grounds as a reporter—I will never forget it.
Rebecca Aguilar
This comment was posted on February 28th, 2009 at 2:51 amFreelance Reporter-Dallas, TX
I’m neither a Democrat or a Republican, but I
blame the Reagon Administration for the deregulation of the broadcast industry. Because of
this it has made it possible for the largest broadcast companies to go into a community and buy up all of the radio and tv outlets in a market. Program Executives from their ivory towers in other places like San Antonio, Atlanta,
New York and elsewhere make decisions that effect
not only local area broadcasters but the local
community. They don’t really care about the Toledo area except what they can get from it
dollar wise. They will give you just enough public service and local news to make you think
they really care. The broadcasters in the story
are very talented and dedicated, however thanks
to the Reagon Administration and the political
hacks appointed to the F.C.C, we can say good bye
to radio and television the way it used to be.
Unless, the new administration breaks up the monopoly and makes it possible for people other
than the filthy rich to own radio and tv stations.
Also the F.C.C. Commissioners are nothing more than political pawns for the rich and powerful
and could care less about the American public and
have little or no knowledge of the broadcast industry. Yet these knuckleheads are hand picked by the politicians to make important programming
and technical decisions that effect the broadcast industry and the general public. What’s the answer? Maybe we should get rid of the FCC and
establish a Federal Broadcast Council, made up
of broadcast engineers, programmers, news and public affairs people along with a few corporate CEO’s. My advice to the broadcasters out of work, get any kind job and just work part-time in broadcasting or marry a rich person and get your own station or set up an internet station.
Regards,
Rod Douglas
This comment was posted on February 28th, 2009 at 11:22 amformer Toledo Broadcaster
Much as the rest of the economy is trying to shift gears, so is the media. With the advances in the web and broadband delivery, within the next 5 to 10 years, radio, television and newspaper will cease to exist as we know them. Part of the problem right now is nobody knows what media will look like at the other end of this.
This comment was posted on February 28th, 2009 at 11:48 amEveryone must remember that Bill Clinton signed the deregulation bill that sold us all down the river. I will never forget that day and it made me sorry I voted for him. I, too, am a victim of the current broadcasting industry trend of downsizing. I’ve been out almost a year and a half.
Best wishes to all-
Dana Lundon
This comment was posted on February 28th, 2009 at 1:37 pmWhat a sad state broadcasting and newspapers are in! The amount of talent and experience one has are now the things that work against professionals in all industries. My husband and I have both been in broadcasting for the past 10 years and we are living this too. Even on the hardest days I thank god that I have a full-time job, my husband has not been as lucky. My heart goes out to all who are struggling to get by right now. There are no statistics on the people who lost there jobs a few years ago and now make less or just haven’t been able to find a job at all. There are no statistics on the people holding off on having kids becuase they don’t know if they will have a job in a week, or the the adults having to move in with family becuase they just don’t make enough to live! The amount of stress everyone is under is litterly tearing apart the fabric of our society. There are no raises or bonuses for most, just higher grocery, mortage/rent, gas, heating and health care prices. I hope change for the better comes soon!
This comment was posted on February 28th, 2009 at 7:12 pmWelcome to Fort Wayne Mr. Blue. I have enjoyed my time here since moving from greater Toledo last summer.
As for the state of media, if they actually spent the time to report the news instead of making and shaping the news it would draw a larger audience. Anyone that still uses their brain cannot watch the news anymore.
This comment was posted on March 1st, 2009 at 12:34 amI hate to say it, but this is a classic example of the “poor workman blames his tools” scenario. It ain’t the technology, fellas (and ladies). Toledo radio has been on a downswing TALENT-WISE for a long time. Everybody jumps on a bandwagon (i.e. the Rush Limbaugh conservative tripe or the let’s bash people school of broadcasting), regurgitating the same schtick and shoving it down our throats – if we, the audience, chose to turn on local radio. It’s all cyclical, y’know.
Ev’ry once in awhile, ya gotta reinvent yourself and offer something new to the market — or go into insurance.
Take a look in the mirror, maybe that’ll help … maybe.
This comment was posted on March 1st, 2009 at 3:28 pmRod Douglas says it all in the comment above. Toldedo is just one example of what he speaks of. Markets of all sizes throughout this country are experiencing what’s going on in Toldeo. I got cut in 2002 when the station I was on got bought by the biggest of the corporate monsters. We were all showed the door. Replaced by voice tracking and five or six people on-air talent running a 7 station cluster.
I was tired of moving and having my heart ripped out time after time this way so I switched careers all together. Haven’t been back on the air since. It’s not like we didn’t have any warning. Signs of this coming were occurring as early as the late 90′s.
Makes this generation X’er wish he was a baby boomer who spinned 45′s on radio in the 60′s and 70′s when radio was true and real and local.
-Andy Patscot
This comment was posted on April 9th, 2009 at 6:14 pmThe Telecommunications Act of 1996 sold not only broadcasters down the river, but much of the public as well.
The flag of warning was waived numerous times in the early 90s, and clearly pointed out that radio consolidation would benefit ONLY a few corporations and investment bankers. Perhaps the scariest was a letter by Paul Gleiser (broadcaster) to Eddie Fritts (NAB). Read it carefully. (See link 1)
Congress saw radio consolidation as a golden opportunity to make revenue. In 1999 I addressed my concerns with my Congressman and was told by him, “unless big corporations purchased all the local stations, radio would cease to exist.” A search of my Congressman’s donation list showed why he supported corporate radio. His words are really supportive of the small businessman.
Corruption also assisted in the fall of radio. I’m reminded of last year’s Congressional report showing how then F.C.C. Chairman Martin was admonished for “suppressing information and public comment”. Radio was not the only victim in this matter, pointing out a far bigger problem. (See link 2). From faked LPFM technical papers, to changing the rules so only the wealthiest could bid for station licenses (auctions), the F.C.C. did it’s job to kill competition.
Are these stations acting in the public interest? The famous Minot ND EAS escapade is rarely mentioned, but indicates how unmanned station clusters fail to serve the public in times of emergency. (see link 3). During one of our local emergencies in 1999, a local station pulled the plug on their EAS because it was ruining their programming. Gee, I would really like to know about that tornado.
Is there public service? Walk into one of these chain radio station and ask them to run a PSA. I have. If you’re not laughed at, wait and see if it ever gets on the air. Call a station sometime outside of the business hours and see if you can reach a live body. Have you noticed that time and temperature is rarely given, or that the forecast on the air is for “50% chance of showers” when it’s raining like the dickens?
Like the present financial mess we’re in, much of the problems radio faces is due to greed, and government manipulation for their friends. I don’t think anyone can reasonably conclude that the radio business is acting in the public interest.
It’s easy to find a villain when attaching the wrong doing to a political party. You point a finger, and blame. However, I blame the arrogance and incompetence of those in government who were willing lapdogs to the scheme, and in some cases benefited handsomely from the rulings.
I remember, as I’m sure Rod does (we worked together), how radio was part of a community. It was the anchor in so many towns. It supported and broadcast our school programs. It was our 1st choice in times of emergency. It told us of church and school closings not because they were sponsored, but because THAT was community service.
I so pray for a day when radio is run by local people.
1: “http://getonthenet.com/GleiserFritts.pdf”
2: “http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Congress-FCC-Boss-Martin-Abused-Power-99585″
3: “http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050523/magnuson” & “http://cei.org/articles/minot-line”
This comment was posted on April 25th, 2009 at 4:36 pmThey are JUST feeling this?? I have felt the effects of AL Gore’s Telecom “brilliance” since the mid-1990s…also thank the Bush-era lame-duck FCC…they (degreg) f__k-ed-up our industry, killed the golden goose, and took away all the gains of minority ownership.
This comment was posted on September 22nd, 2009 at 10:54 pmBunch of whining. There is always room for ‘the best’ in any industry, in any market, in any economy. You can whine about layoffs, or you can do what you need to do to bring in viewers and listeners. Did any of you even try to increase your numbers and ad base? Had you been bringing in the coin to the station, you’d damned sure still have a job. TV/Radio is a business. If you’re not bringing in eyeballs and ears, you’re not doing your job and you can’t expect advertisers to support you.
This comment was posted on August 31st, 2010 at 11:24 pm